That's Where the Other Children Go to Die
by shadowsinwinter
Summary: Three-shot, where President Snow's granddaughter is finally - finally! - allowed to watch the Hunger Games for the first time.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is a three-shot set around President Snow's granddaughter's view on the 74__th__ Hunger Games. I tried to write this from her POV, as how a pampered and probably immature 12-year-old would sound like, and I hope this turns out okay._

I'm so excited.

I'm finally allowed to watch the Hunger Games!

I can hear Mummy and Daddy arguing about it even now, when they think that I am asleep. Voices drifting from under the crack of my door, every single word clear and distinct to my ears.

"She's too young," Mummy says again, sounding upset. I hate it when she's upset, but I can't go down to give her a hug now because I am supposed to be sleeping. Daddy yells at me if I get caught downstairs after lights-out, and I don't want to get yelled at. Not when I'm still in a good mood.

"She's old enough to be Reaped," Daddy sounds very exasperated now, they have been fighting about this all day. Exasperated. I saw it in a storybook yesterday and it means 'very irritated'. I like this word. It sounds nice on my tongue. "If she's old enough to be Reaped, she's old enough to see it."

Mummy doesn't speak anymore and I can hear them heading away to their individual bedrooms. This means that the hall below my room is empty. There's no one to hear me now, and I slide out from under my sheets, letting my toes brush against the lovely lambskin rug Grandpapa sent to me for my birthday earlier this year.

Finally! Mummy has _finally _realised that I'm twelve and more than ready to watch the Games. I wish she would let me be a Tribute, but Daddy says that because we live in the Capitol, there is no need for me to take part in the Reaping. Mummy looks very relieved by that, but I am not. The Tributes are like heroes! They're so strong and so smart, and I hear so many stories about them from the other kids at school.

Sometimes I close my eyes and let myself dream that I could be one of them, standing up on the stage as my district people applaud me.

I decide to do that now. Turning on the nightlight, I scribble my name on my notebook paper and drop it into a box.

Then comes the best part.

And the Tribute from the Capitol," I force myself not to giggle because that would spoil the moment. Dipping my hand into the box, I unfold the paper and gasp, trying to imitate Elizabeth Okeniyi. She's my favourite Escort, and the Escort for District 4. "Is Erika Snow!"

I can almost hear the crowd cheering for me and I wave to them, beaming wildly... But I need to return to bed now, because Daddy is bringing me to Grandpa's place early tomorrow morning so that I can watch the Games with him.

The 74th Annual Hunger Games.

I can hardly wait!

Oh yes, before I forget.

May the odds be ever in their favour, and may the best Tribute win!


	2. Chapter 2

I'm watching the Reapings while eating my lunch. Grandpa's really nice, he lets me eat and watch the broadcast at the same time; Mummy forbids me from doing it at home because she says that it's bad for your digestion.

Daddy went home after dropping me off last night. He and Mummy are not staying – Grandpa doesn't like Mummy much, I think. He says that she's 'weak-minded and feeble' for not supporting the Games, and I have to say that I don't understand why she doesn't like watching them. They're the best entertainment we get all year – much more fun than those operas and theatre shows that she seems to like so much.

Besides, no-one ever seems to fight and die in all the shows that she brings me to.

I keep one eye on the screen as I pick at my food – really, I'm more excited that I am hungry – but there's nothing much going on at the moment. They're showing the Reaping of District 12 and beside me, Grandpa yawns.

Nothing ever happens in District 12.

"Ladies first!" Effie Trinket announces cheerfully, her wig still slightly askew. "Primrose Everdeen!"

I look up as a skinny girl, short, pale and dark-haired, steps out from the crows, who parts before her, leaving her a clear path to the stage. She looks shock, almost terrified, and I bite back an inpatient snort.

_What are you waiting for, you ninny? You're a Tribute, do you know how lucky you are?_

Then, and only then, something interesting finally happens. The girl takes a shaky step forward, then two, and the speakers erupt with a scream that make me start and drop my spoon to the table with a clatter. Grandpa shoots me a sharp look at the disturbance, and I wince in reply.

"Sorry."

"I volunteer!" A girl – almost a woman – steps forward defiantly, and I can feel my brows rising in shock. A volunteer from a non-Career district? "I volunteer as Tribute."

I turn to Grandpa.

"Why can't I be a Tribute? You're the President, Grandpa, maybe you can make me one!"

Grandpa merely shakes his head and laughs. "You're too young to understand this, Erika. The Reaping, the Games… It's all a punishment to the Districts. They did something very bad many years ago, and now the Hunger Games will teach them to be good."

I stare at the screen thoughtfully… Good. But isn't love good? And what happened in District 12… Katniss Everdeen, I know her name now, she loves her sister enough to sacrifice her life for her.

"Grandpa?"

"Hmm?" He sounds preoccupied now, reading through his papers.

"I have another question."

"Make it quick, Erika, I need to be back at my office soon." Grandpa is always busy.

"Katniss Everdeen. She is sacrificing everything for her sister. Does that make her good, now?"

He studies me for a long moment, and I think he doesn't know how to reply.

"No,' he finally says after a long moment. "No… She'll still have to take part in the Games."

He leaves after this conversation, and I am left to wonder why he says that taking part in the Games is a punishment when it should be like a reward.


	3. Chapter 3

I can't remember which day of the Games this is, now. Everything passed by in a haze of anticipation and excitement – Grandpa even let me drink a little the night before it started, even though I had to promise him not to let Mummy know – and now I'm watching Katniss Everdeen and the little girl from District 11… Rue, that is her name… Put together a plan which is very likely going to get the both of them killed.

I'll be disappointed to see Katniss die, I think, I had been rooting for her since the Games started… Besides, I think she and Peeta were kind of cute when they were together.

I am surprised to see that the plan works out perfectly. The Careers' camp explodes, sending supplies and weapons soaring into the sky, and I can't help but giggle.

They look like fireworks. Pretty, deadly fireworks, fireworks made of food and knives and debris, fireworks in the daytime – just think of that!

I bite down on my tongue to prevent myself from shouting out to Katniss, urging her to run just a little faster as she returns to Rue… Ah, but she cannot see what I see.

Rue is going to die.

Anticipation rises to the back of my throat as she stumbles right into the trap set by Marvel.

Katniss is still to far away, Rue has less than a minute left to live.

I start counting down the seconds.

Ten.

Marvel strides forward in his arrogant swagger, his spear in his hand.

Nine. Eight.

He stops a good distance away, watching her as she struggles. It's futile, no-one has ever walked into Marvel's traps and lived to tell the tale.

Seven, six, five, four…

Katniss is closer now, she might – might – make it just in time to save Rue. I lean forwards. Marvel is saying something… I can barely make the words out. 'The little bird is caged at last' I think, but I can't be sure.

The only thing bad about the Games is that they don't provide subtitles.

Three. Two.

He heaves the spear forward with a grunt of effort.

One.

Bull's eye – for both Katniss and Marvel. His spear hits Rue just as her arrow strikes him, and his body slumps forward, suddenly limp and lifeless.

It's too late for Rue though, as I watch Katniss untangle her from the ropes and lower her to the ground. At least she would have died a good death, a noble death.

And that's when Katniss starts singing, "_Here it's safe, here it's warm. Here the daisies guard you from every harm. Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true. Here is the place where I love you."_

I don't know what does it – is it the flowers covering the tiny body? Or is it the song – but when I look at Rue lying there, suddenly all that I can think about is the fact that she was _human_.

She had hopes and dreams and a family who loved her and who would now be weeping for their loss… She was, in a way, like me.

And finally I understand why Grandpa says that the Hunger Games are like a punishment to the Districts… Because when they send their children to be Reaped, they know that they are sending them out to… To die.

They know that they will never see them again.

Grandpa sticks his head through the door. "Did I miss anything important?"

"Nothing," I tell him evenly. "Rue died, that's all."

I turn my face back to the screen mounted on the wall, back to the Arena…

The Arena.

Where all the other children go to die.


End file.
